Shut Up & Read

I read Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop after spotting it in my Shopee feed. As you might expect, I got intrigued by its book cover.

This book is about Yeongju, a woman in her late thirties who decides to leave her high-flying career, divorce her husband, and start anew in the residential neighborhood of Hyunam-dong, where she builds her bookshop. This bookshop eventually becomes a haven for diverse characters who become part of her life and running the bookshop.

The best part of this book is the pacing. It has been consistent throughout the book—slow, languid, unhurried. It almost felt like you were staring idly at the sky while the clouds drift by.

That’s how the book feels, and it is such a very memorable picture of feeling for me. For a book to make me feel that way is nothing short of brilliant.

The setting of the book is very quaint and comfy. The story mostly takes place in the bookshop, which always has coffee brewing. There is warmth and coziness in the scenarios. I know every reader, especially bookworms, would appreciate this book, particularly where the author shares the struggle of becoming an indie bookshop owner. I felt like opening one myself, despite the hardship, because this book makes you feel like this is the kind of hardship you’d want to take on.

This book also conveys the idea of happiness that we often associate with the success society forces on us, like making a lot of money, having a good career, and owning a nice house. But from this book, we see that despite having all that, we don’t feel happiness. And that can mess you up, especially when we dedicate ourselves to reaching this kind of success only to find we are unhappy and unfulfilled.

That is such a powerful message in a society where we continuously strive to find success, losing sight of what we want out of life.

final thoughts…

This book gave me rest. I was reading and yet felt like I was resting. It has a very calming setting and a great message, reminding us again to take life a little easier, reevaluate what we want, and have the courage to take a leap and live the life we want to live.

If you are in a place where you are unsure of whether you’re just gonna jump ahead and do what you always wanted but hesitating, this would be a perfect book to read. Or if you just feel burned out and feel like you can use a good book, I will recommend this!